Staithes Whitby

The coast line between Staithes and Sandsend was once the home of ‘Sandsend Bogey’ that was said to go out with fishermen for goodluck. It was finally excorsised by the Lythe priest after it began to frighten local children.

Lythe Whitby

Mulgrave woods is said to be haunted by the ghost of ‘Jeanie of Biggerdale’ who was a witch that disliked visitors whom dare go near the area. Traditionally people were said to call her names before running away from her, which gave rise to the local poem.

Biggerdale Jeanie where is thoo?

Ah’s Nobbut trying my left foot shoo!

Bide! An Ah’ll be wi thee-noo!

One tale of Jeanie, is where she chased a farmer across a field, the horse went to jump over a stream but has it did, it was ripped in two.

Mulgrave Castle Whitby

There is a tunnel that runs underneath this castle where ‘PadPad’ is said to live, he is half human and half goat and is said to scare off people whom dare enter the tunnels.

Runswick Bay Whitby

Hob Hob hole was cave in this bay that was said to be the home of a goblin who had the power to cure children of whooping cough. When a child was ill, the parents would take the child to the entrance of the cave and shout ‘Hob-hole Hob! My Bairns got kink cough; take off! Tak’t off. And sure enough within a month the cough would be gone.

Claymore Well Whitby

Noises of fairies are said to be heard as the fairies beat their washing. The well is best avoided has they are known to be quite sinister and have been known to abduct people.

Boulby Cliff Whitby

A fisherman known as James Harrison fell 600 feet to his death in 1846. His ghost was seen so frequently that his family used to hold conversations with him. This was until he was exorcized by a local priest. However, many say that this was unsuccessful has he is still seen today wondering the cliff top and hovering around 20 feet above the sea level.

Headless farmer, Robin Hoods Bay

Old Bert was a tight fisted farmer who wore someone’s else’s teeth because he was too tight to buy his own. One night whilst riding home on his old horse along the railway line, Bert somehow fell from his horse and knocked himself out. Laid across the train track it was unavoidable when the train came along and cut off his head. However, when the alarm was raised and his body was discovered, he was found to be holding his teeth in his hand and his head was nowhere to be found. Many people have since reported seeing Old Bert wondering down the railway track looking for his head, holding a set of teeth in his hand.

St Marys Church Yard Whitby

Old Lisa was often called a witch by the locals and was often taunted by children. On the 24th of April whilst out in the village she was killed by a horse and carriage. Many people say that she is seen wondering the church yard at night on the 24th April. For years people feared the ghost so much, that he yard would be closed off, preventing people from seeing the old woman.

Grape Lane, Whitby

A young girl named Mary visited a bakery there in 1917, however, she got too close to the fire and her hair caught alight. She ran into the street screaming has her clothes caught ablaze. She was eventually caught by the baker who took her to the infirmary where she later died from her injuries. Occasionally in the evenings, the ghost of a poor girl appears on fire and the sounds of her skin can be heard crackling under the heat. Witnesses, who have seen the girl, say that you can smell the burning skin long after she disappears.

A Ghost called Hob

A rather mysterious ghost, called Hob, said to have a grudge against travellers, is said to haunt the area around Whitby. He has been seen appearing in front of cars, forcing them to skid, and mysteriously car-tyres have been let down, another act attributed to Hob. However, his favourite past-time is to turn signposts round, causing confusion to passing motorists not familiar with the roads around this Yorkshire seaside town.

Aislaby Hall

Disembodied footsteps are often heard moving around as if in a silken dress, this figure has never been seen with the human eye. But the noise is said to send chills down the witnesses’ spine.

Arundel House

Built in the 1880s this hotel has had reports of ghostly activity in nearly every room from visions of a lady to footsteps heard on the stairs along with strange bangs and disembodied voices.

Bagdale Hall Hotel

Bagdale Hall hotel is actually housed in three historical buildings, one of which is the atmospheric Tudor house that was built in 1516. Another of the buildings is named No. 4 Bagdale, and is a charming Georgian townhouse, and the remaining building is a large detached Georgian house which was built in around 1770. Whichever of the residences that you choose to stay in for your trip to Whitby, you’re sure to enjoy the historic and atmospheric surroundings.

Browne Bushell, a former owner of the hotel, was executed with charges relating to piracy. He returned to the hall after his death and has been seen there many times since then, walking up and down staircases at the hall. Guests have also heard the clatter of footsteps up and down the staircases, even though no-one was there to be responsible for the sounds.

There has also been other strange phenomenon associated with the Hall over the years, including poltergeist activity, a strange shape gliding up and down the stairs and lights being switched on in an empty room.

Devils Punchbowl Goathland

The Hole of Horcum is a large natural amphitheatre which is skirted by the A169 between Pickering and Goathland on the North York Moors. Known locally as the "Devil's Punchbowl", local legend has it that the amphitheatre was made by a giant, who scooped up a large ball of earth and tossed it aside to create a nearby hill.

Green Lane area, leading to the cliffs

A coach is said to materialise and travel to a nearby church, before suddenly charging towards the cliffs and then finally vanishing as it plummets down the face. Another entity that stalks the roads around here is never seen, but causes damage to vehicles and road signs.

Prospect Hall

The ghosts of a headless man is seen here wondering the corridors with his head secured firmly under his arm.

Whitby Abbey

Whitby Abbey is perched dramatically on the cliff top and is well known for providing inspiration for Bram Stoker’s gothic novel, Dracula (1931) and the filming of Count Dracula in 1977.

Whitby Abbey is said to be haunted by a nun whose body was allegedly found bricked up within the abbey walls. There have been several sightings of her staring out from the empty windows. Other ghost sightings include the apparition of a coach complete with horses which is seen to plunge over the cliffs, a pirate, ghost children and a strange entity that damages cars and road signs.

Kettleness Black Dog

A phantom Black Dog is said to haunt Kettleness near Whitby.

‘On visiting Kettleness a schoolmaster and his two friends all experienced a wave of terror when, looking over the shore to the misty sea, they had seen a huge hound—so large it could not be mortal—appeared out of thin air. Silent with shock they watched it move towards them before disappearing as silently and mysteriously as it had come.